Will a Pacemaker Affect Slot Machines?

My aunt has a pacemaker and I was wondering if it would make her lose in Vegas or if it won't bother the odds of her winning in Vegas?

It's always an exciting time here at SlotExpert Central when we have a changing of the "Strangest Question We've Received" ceremony. Oh, the pomp, the ceremony, the pageantry. Your question is the new winner in the Strange, But Sensible category. (The winner in the Strange Overall category was whether the aliens that built the pyramids in Egypt also have the secret to winning at the slots.)

Your question is sensible because electromagnetic interference (EMI, also called radio frequency interference, RFI) has affected slot machines in the past. Despite the testing done by gaming labs to ensure that machines will not be susceptible to RFI, machines sometimes are susceptible. My favorite story about machines being affected by RFI is about one casino's new walkie-talkie system that had the unfortunate side effect of having any machine in close proximity to slot floor personnel spit out a coin whenever someone keyed their mike.

I got my medical degree from watching House, so I'm not licensed to practice in the United States. From searching on the internet, I see that my colleagues in the medical community are far more concerned about RFI affecting pacemakers than about pacemakers affecting other devices. Checking a few more pages of search results, I can't find even one article about interference from pacemakers.

I've never heard of a pacemaker affecting a slot machine. Your aunt's pacemaker won't make her any more or less likely to win when she plays.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.

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John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming's leading publications. Hear John on "The Good Times Radio Gaming Show," broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoons. You can listen to archives of the show online anytime.

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